The cameras were rolling at Café U in downtown Mineola as a family laughed over coffee after heading from the Mineola Nature Preserve. But this family wasn’t simply enjoying a day out—they were helping tell the story of Wood County.
A film crew spent the day capturing what organizers hope will become the first of many promotional videos encouraging visitors to experience everything Wood County has to offer. While the growing Wood County Walls mural trail serves as the centerpiece, those involved say the campaign is about much more than public art.
“We’re trying to paint the picture of what a weekend in Wood County looks like,” said Nathan Witt, founder of the nonprofit Flint & Steel and one of the driving forces behind Wood County Walls. “The murals are the keystone, but they’re not the only reason people come. We want them to experience our coffee shops, the nature preserve, restaurants, fishing, golf and everything else that makes this county special.”
The video, which will be released through social media, is the first in a year-long marketing effort designed to tell a series of stories about life and tourism across the county.
Future videos will focus on fishing, golf, family activities and other experiences that encourage visitors to spend an entire weekend exploring the area.
Witt said the idea behind Wood County Walls has always been bigger than creating murals.
“Our goal has been to create opportunities for high-value public art while also giving artists opportunities here in Wood County,” he said.
The project operates under Flint & Steel, a nonprofit Witt founded in 2020 with a mission of supporting youth and young adults through community-driven projects.
At just 21 years old, Witt launched the nonprofit during the COVID-19 pandemic after returning home from college.
He said seeing several childhood friends lost to drug overdoses and suicide forced him to ask what could be done for young people in Wood County.
“I kept telling people something needed to be done,” Witt recalled. “Eventually everybody looked at me, and I realized if something was going to happen, I needed to help make it happen.”
What began as a small community effort has steadily grown into an organization that now helps lead projects designed to strengthen both the community and its quality of life.
Working alongside Nathan is his father, Todd Witt, who has become known for helping champion tourism initiatives throughout the county, including the popular Bigfoot installations that have attracted growing attention from residents and visitors alike.
Todd Witt believes Wood County’s greatest strength lies in bringing its communities together rather than promoting individual towns separately.
“No single town is big enough by itself,” he said. “When we market Wood County as one destination, people realize there’s enough here to fill an entire weekend.”
He envisions the mural trail functioning much like an outdoor art gallery spread throughout the county, allowing visitors to travel scenic backroads between communities while discovering murals, local businesses and natural attractions along the way.
Unlike urban mural districts where visitors contend with heavy traffic and crowded streets, Wood County offers a quieter experience.
“You can enjoy world-class art while driving through the Piney Woods,” Nathan Witt said. “It’s a completely different experience.”
The Witts also hope the murals become an added attraction for existing events and tourism opportunities, from fishing tournaments to festivals like the Wood County Old Settlers Reunion.
Rather than competing with existing attractions, the trail is designed to complement them.
“If someone comes for a festival or a fishing tournament, what else can they do?” Todd Witt said. “This gives families more reasons to stay longer and explore.”
Producing the videos is Cause Creative, an East Texas marketing agency that specializes in nonprofit storytelling.
“Our goal is to showcase Wood County Walls while also showing that Mineola and Wood County are great weekend destinations,” said Reese Anderson of Cause Creative. “It’s about the entire family experience—from local coffee shops and restaurants to fishing, hiking and the nature preserve.”
Although Anderson is from neighboring Smith County, he said Wood County already has many of the ingredients visitors are looking for.
“People know about the hamburgers and the nature preserve,” he said with a smile. “Now we’re showing them there’s so much more.”
The promotional campaign will target visitors from across East Texas as well as larger metropolitan areas, including Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston, encouraging them to discover the growing collection of murals and the experiences surrounding them.
For Nathan Witt, the campaign represents another step toward changing perceptions of his hometown.
“We’ve built something special,” he said. “Now we just have to make sure people know it’s here.”